Mark IV Love...

[rippingrudy]

Had it for two weeks now - Can't stop playing it and loving it and tweaking it and gigging with it and getting rave reviews for excellent tone with it (my playing is another matter... haha).

I can't believe I waited this long to buy one... What an awesome machine.

 

[Russ]

Glad to hear that you love it. Like the rest of us it will continue to amaze you the longer you have it. Others just don't find appreciation in it because they either can't figure it out or they don't have the patience to but those people are fewer than those that actually love it.

 

[Platypus]

+1 for mark IV love

 

[Antoine]

Fantastic amp, i have the amp for 9 years now and never wanted something else.

 

[Random Hero]

I feel the same, man. I've had mine for 2 weeks this coming Monday, and I can't believe I didn't buy one long, long ago. I've GAS'd for one for a long time, but for some reason I never got around to buying one.

This is my fifth head in the past 18 months, but the Mark IV is a keeper, absolutely no doubt about it.

 

[Spirithunter]

I bought mine 1 week ago and hands down the best amp i ever owned!

 

[creative]

I feel the same, man. I've had mine for 2 weeks this coming Monday, and I can't believe I didn't buy one long, long ago. I've GAS'd for one for a long time, but for some reason I never got around to buying one.

This is my fifth head in the past 18 months, but the Mark IV is a keeper, absolutely no doubt about it.

Hey random hero! is better mark iv than your herbert? what diferences?

 

[Lucifer]

+1 Mark IV porn

 

[rippingrudy]

Random Hero - I'm in exactly the same boat! I've been putting off buying a Mark IV for about 3 years because I didn't want to spend the extra $400. Because of this I wasted tons of money and time on other heads - here is my list of heads over the last few years:

Marshall JCM 800
5150
Rivera suprema
Rivera R50-112
Laney GH 100L
Mesa F-100
Mesa Mark III
Mesa Single Recto
Mesa Stiletto Duece (Which I still have and I am keeping because it is awesome for what it does).

 

[Random Hero]

I feel the same, man. I've had mine for 2 weeks this coming Monday, and I can't believe I didn't buy one long, long ago. I've GAS'd for one for a long time, but for some reason I never got around to buying one.

This is my fifth head in the past 18 months, but the Mark IV is a keeper, absolutely no doubt about it.

Hey random hero! is better mark iv than your herbert? what diferences?

Infinitely better. I prefer everything about it. For one, the Herbert never truly sings as a lead tone. The IV is tighter, crunchier, just, better. The Herbert cleans are great, but even so, I prefer the IV's.

Another thing, once the Herbert got above "moderate" volume, and by that, I mean loud house volume, it sounds solidstate, is SO overly compressed, and sounds shitty.

Just my opinion.

 

[Random Hero]

Random Hero - I'm in exactly the same boat! I've been putting off buying a Mark IV for about 3 years because I didn't want to spend the extra $400. Because of this I wasted tons of money and time on other heads - here is my list of heads over the last few years:

Marshall JCM 800
5150
Rivera suprema
Rivera R50-112
Laney GH 100L
Mesa F-100
Mesa Mark III
Mesa Single Recto
Mesa Stiletto Duece (Which I still have and I am keeping because it is awesome for what it does).

Me too man, me too. It wasn't the cash thing with me, but for some reason I avoided it, I have no idea why.

I had a 3ch Dual, and knew I wanted a IV. I traded that for a 92 Blackface Dual. I knew I wanted a IV when I started to think of getting rid of that, and ended up with a Herbert. After becoming dissatisfied with the Herbert, I wasn't gonna make the same mistake a 3rd time.

 

[hazbin]

I recently purchased my first Mark IV and am loving it. Wish I picked it up years ago.
I also own a RK series 1 and can honestly say that there is no comparison between the two amps. The Mark IV is far superior, hands down

 

[Bullen]

I feel the same, man. I've had mine for 2 weeks this coming Monday, and I can't believe I didn't buy one long, long ago. I've GAS'd for one for a long time, but for some reason I never got around to buying one.

This is my fifth head in the past 18 months, but the Mark IV is a keeper, absolutely no doubt about it.

Hey random hero! is better mark iv than your herbert? what diferences?

Infinitely better. I prefer everything about it. For one, the Herbert never truly sings as a lead tone. The IV is tighter, crunchier, just, better. The Herbert cleans are great, but even so, I prefer the IV's.

Another thing, once the Herbert got above "moderate" volume, and by that, I mean loud house volume, it sounds solidstate, is SO overly compressed, and sounds sh!t.

Just my opinion.

This is my opinion, and in no way am I degrading yours Random. Just a different point of view.

I´ve had two Mark IV´s and now I have a Herbert (and a recto and Mark III). In my opinion the Herbert is the only amp that I´ve owned that I like as much as the Marks I´ve have/had.

It´s a different sound, but still very good. The Herbert clean is better than the Mark IV clean mode in my opinion, it´s livelier and "twangier". Almost Fender clean. Very good!
Ch 2 set to "-" on the Herbert , destroys the rhy 2 of the Mark IV. Great vintage vibe and crunches beautifully when you dig in. On full gain it´s like a modded vintage Marshall.
Set to "+" it takes it even further into high gain. Warm, tight metal rhythms and thick lead sounds. Use the mid-cut to get a really aggressive thrash metal sound. Probably the best channel on the Herbert. Very versatile.
Ch 3 has rediculous amounts of gain, half is enough for anything. This is a very sweet sounding lead mode, very liquid when set right. It very unforgiving and the attack is instant and very tight but when you hold the note it get´s a sweet spongy sag to it like no other amp I´ve tried. Huge low end if you want it, and some settings will make the low end loose and muddy. When you engage the Mid-Cut it´s the most aggressive sound I´ve ever heard.

In my opinion the Herbert is just as good as the Mark IV, better for some sounds. It´s a much different sound, but the versatility and construction is incredible. I recently changed 4 of the 6 powertubes to 6L6 (they come stock with 6 EL34 powertubes), it tamed the aggression a bit and made the amp warmer and not as tireing for the ears. I like it even more now.
I´ve never had a problem with the Herbert sounding solid state, if anything I think it sounds better when cranked like most other tube amps.

I know you have a EBMMJP, Random. I have one too and that guitar doesn´t sound as good through the Herbert (sounds amazing through Mesa gear though) as my Les Paul or my Ibanez RGT320. Might have something to do with your opinion.

The Mark IV has the best lead tone I´ve ever had, the Mark III is almost as good (I prefer the III for heavy rhythms though). I´ve always loved the Mark series lead sound, and there´s nothing quite like it.

I´m getting a new Mark IV sometime this year, but I´m definatly keeping the Herbert (and the Mark III).

 

[Random Hero]

Hey random hero! is better mark iv than your herbert? what diferences?

Infinitely better. I prefer everything about it. For one, the Herbert never truly sings as a lead tone. The IV is tighter, crunchier, just, better. The Herbert cleans are great, but even so, I prefer the IV's.

Another thing, once the Herbert got above "moderate" volume, and by that, I mean loud house volume, it sounds solidstate, is SO overly compressed, and sounds sh!t.

Just my opinion.

This is my opinion, and in no way am I degrading yours Random. Just a different point of view.

I´ve had two Mark IV´s and now I have a Herbert (and a recto and Mark III). In my opinion the Herbert is the only amp that I´ve owned that I like as much as the Marks I´ve have/had.

It´s a different sound, but still very good. The Herbert clean is better than the Mark IV clean mode in my opinion, it´s livelier and "twangier". Almost Fender clean. Very good!
Ch 2 set to "-" on the Herbert , destroys the rhy 2 of the Mark IV. Great vintage vibe and crunches beautifully when you dig in. On full gain it´s like a modded vintage Marshall.
Set to "+" it takes it even further into high gain. Warm, tight metal rhythms and thick lead sounds. Use the mid-cut to get a really aggressive thrash metal sound. Probably the best channel on the Herbert. Very versatile.
Ch 3 has rediculous amounts of gain, half is enough for anything. This is a very sweet sounding lead mode, very liquid when set right. It very unforgiving and the attack is instant and very tight but when you hold the note it get´s a sweet spongy sag to it like no other amp I´ve tried. Huge low end if you want it, and some settings will make the low end loose and muddy. When you engage the Mid-Cut it´s the most aggressive sound I´ve ever heard.

In my opinion the Herbert is just as good as the Mark IV, better for some sounds. It´s a much different sound, but the versatility and construction is incredible. I recently changed 4 of the 6 powertubes to 6L6 (they come stock with 6 EL34 powertubes), it tamed the aggression a bit and made the amp warmer and not as tireing for the ears. I like it even more now.
I´ve never had a problem with the Herbert sounding solid state, if anything I think it sounds better when cranked like most other tube amps.

I know you have a EBMMJP, Random. I have one too and that guitar doesn´t sound as good through the Herbert (sounds amazing through Mesa gear though) as my Les Paul or my Ibanez RGT320. Might have something to do with your opinion.

The Mark IV has the best lead tone I´ve ever had, the Mark III is almost as good (I prefer the III for heavy rhythms though). I´ve always loved the Mark series lead sound, and there´s nothing quite like it.

I´m getting a new Mark IV sometime this year, but I´m definatly keeping the Herbert (and the Mark III).

Bullen, dude, I'm glad you voiced your opinion - infact, I always find your posts on all 3 forums we both frequent really informative and interesting.

I can't argue that the clean is world class, but even so, there was something about it that I didn't neccesarily love. Idk, but I just prefer the IV's clean. *Shrugs* Now, ch2 vs Rhy2, is absolutely no comparison, I agree with you. Ch2 (+) was by far the best setting on the amp. Ch3, I had a bit of a problem with. Bear in mind that my Herbert was a prototype, modified to current specs, and that probably has something (or alot) to do with it. It felt stiff to me, and never truly sang. I also found it didn't have a great deal of sustain, but again that could be the age of it.

It's an interesting point you raise about the EBMMJP - I have other guitars, but I never touch them since the EBMM fits me so well. I would actually be very intrigued to try out a newer Herbert to see if it was the fact that mine was a proto.

By the way, apologies if I offended you at all with my original post. I am just in love with my Mark IV - I should have gotten one LONG ago.

Speaking of amps this year, i'm unsure as to whether to pick up another 2ch Recto or a Mark III next. I know you have both, and I used to have the blackface 2ch - what do you reckon?

 

[Bullen]

No worries mate!
I took no offense, I was more worried I might offend you. I just wanted to share my opinion.

It might be true that your Herbert sounded different from mine, I don´t know. Mine doesn´t feel stiff to me at all, and the lead tone is pretty smooth and liquid, though I still prefer the Mark IV lead tone, mainly because I love that John Petrucci lead tone.

Recto or Mark III, eh?
You owned what´s considered one of the best sounding rectos, so you know what they are supposed to sound like. My recto is a 96 model, so it probably sounds a bit different from the one you had. I do like the tone, but I prefer the Mark III to the recto for most things. The recto´s have that signature sound that is quite unique, and it´s nice to have it my arsenal. But right now it´s all I use it for, that nu-metal sound for lack of a better term.

The Mark III is also great for heavier stuff, and it´s capable of really aggressive rhythms tones with a huge low end, and like the Mark IV it´s much tighter and more focused than the recto´s. I feel the Mark IV is better for lead tones, as it´s a bit thicker in the mids and a bit more liquid vibe in the lead channel. The III can sound very smooth but the presence needs to be set really low, like 1 or 2 as it´s very active on my Mark III.
The shared knobs on the III may be a problem, it´s hard to get the perfect clean sound at the same time as the perfect lead channel tone.
I use the III mainly for a Metallica/DT sounding rhythm tone, which it pretty much nails.

I´m thinking of selling my recto to get a Mark IV, but I usually miss stuff after I sell it, so I haven´t decided yet.

Anyway, if you can find a used Mark III, preferably with the eq and simul-class options, buy it. You won´t regret it!

 

[Random Hero]

Bullen,

The Mark IV lead tone sure is fantastic, and extremely JP-esque indeed!

RE: Recto v Mark III, i'm not THAT fussed on the Mark III clean, I would probably run it in a dual amp rig with my Mark IV, and i'm very happy with the Mark IV cleans. I just thought it would be another great tone to have, alongside my IV, you know?

I wish I hadn't sold some of the stuff I have, namely my 2ch Recto (although i'm very glad that in doing so I eventually picked up the IV) but, ya know, what can ya do?

 

[rippingrudy]

There must have been something wrong with the Mark III I had. The lead channel was fizzy and gross. NOTHING at all like the sweet mark IV!!

 

[eltrain858]

sweet, sweet mark iv... i'm rounding out three months with it now, and i'm recording with it for the first time on saturday. my sennheiser e906 finally came in, and i'm planning on using that along with an audix i5 (and the direct out for clean tones) blended together. spent awhile last night positioning the mics, playing with my modulation and delay settings to dial in that perfect clean tone. i find myself taking so much more care in this process than i ever did with previous amps (put sm57 in front of line6 speaker, push record...)

 

[Russ]

Hey how'd your recording come out eltrain858?

 

[eltrain858]

hey it went really well, got all my clean parts laid down, found some pretty sick tones using the mojo vibe for both chorus and vibrato effects. also got a really slick/spanky clean tone out of my strat (mixing neck/middle lace sensors) for some of the funk parts.

gonna keep going (three more sessions this week) and hopefully be done with all 8 songs within two weeks. i'm leaving the high gain stuff for last, still a little intimidated by all the knob tweaking i anticipate.

i'm so satisfied with amp, guitar, effects, microphones, amp riser, and especially the presonus firestudio (compared to an internal soundcard from a desktop). i can't even begin to describe the improvement all these upgrades have made. the distortion i used to get out of my line 6 covered up so much of the dynamics, not only of the guitar but also the bass (slapping/popping) and drums (cymbals). everything sounds fuller and still transparent.